


When We Stand Together

by Sketchyfletch



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Drinking, Gen, Normandy - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-22
Updated: 2013-05-19
Packaged: 2017-12-09 05:29:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/770548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sketchyfletch/pseuds/Sketchyfletch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I really liked the introduction of James/Ashley in the Citadel DLC, and decided I wanted to make it more than just a boozy one-night-stand. Spoilers for Mass Effect 3 and the Citadel DLC. Exploring the development between them over the course of the final game.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

There are no flowers in her hospital room. There were, for a while, but the smell was so sickly that she asked the nurse to throw them away. The woman had looked a bit affronted by the idea  _well it’s a shame I think it’s a nice gesture_  echoing from every pore of her body, but she’d obeyed, and now Ashley is slightly regretting it as all she smells is antiseptic and floor cleaner and distantly, unnervingly, the scent she associates with gangrene.  
   
Here, she’s light years away from the war, but it’s still right outside her door. She only needs to turn her head to see people being hurried past on their way to surgery, spot a spouse or child or friend crying as the news is broken to them, a doctor walking by with shoulders slumped under the burden of so many patients, so many lives.  
   
She should be out there with a gun in hand defending these people and she can barely move without her entire body aching. It’s maddening.  
   
Shepard’s been to see her, of course. There’s still that tension between them that Ashley only just dared to express on Mars, but there was no doubt the Commander was pleased to see her awake. It would be so easy to just forgive and forget, but after the last year…after Cerberus, and the Alpha Relay, and the sting of Shepard’s comments on Horizon…she can’t. She needs more proof that this really is the woman she once served with, and eventually conversation dies and Shepard uncomfortably excuses herself.  
   
Sarah's on the Citadel, and she makes sure to visit every day so Ashley doesn't go out of her mind. Ashley appreciates the gesture but every day they tiptoe around the subject of Thomas makes things strained. In the past Ashley had always been able to fight the things that made her sister upset. If only, if only she could go out there and...probably have her sister worry that she was going to lose another member of her family. If she rushes into battle and gets herself killed because she's not ready, Sarah will never forgive her.

Others drop by from time to time, but it's about a week after Shepard's awkward visit that one of the newest members of the Normandy walks through her door. She's worked with Vega before, and knows him to be a capable soldier – more than capable. They haven't talked much outside of their missions, but despite that she's happy enough to see a familiar face that she manages a smile. 

He walks in, posture military straight but eyes lowered, as though he's not sure what to do with himself. He's cradling something in his hands and Ashley knows without looking at it it'll be another flower, but when she does look at it she has to laugh.  
   
Ridiculously, hilariously, rather sweetly, he’s brought her a cactus.

It's got a perky pink flower perched jauntily on the top like a hat, and James holds it out with his face creased in apology. “Sorry. I'm not good at flowers.”

“It's the best one I've had.” She's being completely truthful and Vega beams as he sets it down beside her bed. “But you didn't need to get me a plant.” He doesn't really need to be here to see her at all. His head bobs and the smile fades. It's a shame, as it's the first time she's seen him smile like that, simply and openly, instead of his usual cocky grin.

Mind, she quite liked the grin too. 

“Well, I was trying to think of a way to say sorry.” Vega takes a seat beside her bed, and his hands twist together, but he keeps his face up. “I feel bad about you getting brained against the shuttle I crashed. I know it's not my fault, but still. Thought you might like a present or something, then I got to the flower shop and my brain just gave up.” 

Ashley can't help but laugh, then winces as her ribs contract in warning. “It's fine, Vega. We're okay. I'm okay. Or will be, as long as you can tell me how to make tequila out of that cactus.”

He chuckles too, the worry that appeared at her wince quickly tucked away. “I could try to smuggle some of that in here but you know, the docs, I don't think they'll accept it if I tell them it's antiseptic.” 

“Maybe a shot or two when I get out of here?” She's never met up with him off-duty but in all honesty, a burly marine kind-hearted enough to bring somebody he barely knows a flower and then having a panic attack in the shop and walking out with a cactus is somebody worth getting to know. “A little courage before I go back to kicking some Reaper ass.” 

“According to the Commander you're not short on courage.” He's grinning as he stands. “And sure. Find me on the extranet, we'll get a few shots of the real stuff down you.” 

He raises his hand in a salute and then turns about, sauntering rather than marching out. Ashley watches him go, suspecting she is going to be regretting this when she has to peel her head up from the bar and try to work out why the floor is swaying, but it'll be worth it. There's very little to look forward to now which isn't fighting, but she is certainly looking forward to getting to know Vega properly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James and Ashley grab that drink, and talk about her Spectre status.

Ash can drink.

James had been on benders with some of the best in the galaxy, and he was still taken aback by just how much liquor Ash managed to stow away before her speech even started to slur. He had plenty of muscle and a decent amount of practice which helped him stay in the lead, but she was tall and lean. She should have been reeling about ages ago. Instead she has one elbow on the bar, lounging rather than putting her weight on it, and is grinning at the look on his face as another shot of agave has slipped down with barely a wince from the lieutenant. 

“Slowing down already, Vega?” 

He already has his fingers curled around a shotglass, and the contents are quickly poured down his throat. “Like hell. This is the stuff I use to brush my teeth with in the morning, Ash. Order something stronger.” Shepard is not going to be impressed when he returns to the Normandy, but James is on leave and he doesn't shirk his duty when he's on it. The Commander's faced just about every sort of horror the galaxy can throw at her. Seeing him worse for the wear after a night out won't do her any harm. 

Ash grins and waves at the bartender. The batarian's face is unreadable but he seems pleased enough to keep taking their money, and a new bottle arrives quickly. James examines the label. “Mezcal. Now that's what you want. Straight down, no chaser.” He fills up their glasses and passes Ash's over, before finally broaching the obvious topic. “So. Spectre, huh?”

“Yeah, it's...pretty unbelievable.” Ash studies the contents of the glass. It should really be served with a worm but apparently that's not an option here. She glances up at him. “How much do you know about my family?”

James is thrown for a moment, then furrows his brow as he remembers some details. “A little. Military family, right? And your abuelo was the Shanxi guy.” 

She nods. “I told Shepard I thought I was going to cap out at gunnery chief because of that. Making lieutenant was strange enough. But a Spectre?” She shakes her head. “It feels like somebody's pulled strings for that. Shepard got it because she's...” Ash makes a gesture as the words escape her.

“Because she's Shepard, right?”

Ash catches his grin and nods, looking a little less serious than she had a few moments ago. “Yeah. She was a damn legend before she even set foot on the Normandy. I just tagged along.” 

“And in the process fought a rouge Spectre, hundreds of geth, thousands of husks, quite a few stupid mercs and stood up to one of the biggest badasses in the galaxy when you were on Horizon.” 

“I'm playing bodyguard to Udina, though. I'm pretty sure that's not usually a Spectre-level assignment.”

James claps his hand against the bar. “Ash! Don't put yourself down. You're a damn good soldier and I was proud to follow you when I was in your squad.”

Ash just looks at him for a moment, eyes slightly narrowed. She has nice eyes, but he knew that already. Even when she's looking suspicious they're still...well, nice. And then she starts laughing, which puts a spark back in them. “Are you sure your keenness to follow me wasn't so you could watch my rear, Vega?”

“No, ma'am!” His reply his quick but he knows his cheeky grin gives it away. He did actually sneak a look or two, although nothing lingering or leering. For one, it was inappropriate and for two, he might have got his head shot off while looking and that would have been a damn shame. 

“You couldn't fool a blind priest. All right.” Ash picks up her shot. “Let's see how this goes down.” She throws it back and then coughs until her eyes water, and James cheerfully thumps her on the back until she catches her breath. 

“Feeling defeated yet?”

“Not a chance. Drink up, you pansy.”

James tosses the shot back. The room is starting to feel warm and he knows in another round or two his head will start to swim. Ash looks completely steady. “Dios, do you drink ryncol as practice in case you end up in a drinking contest with marines twice your size?”

“Unsteady already?” Her triumphant grin is broad and warm. Her eyes slide to the side a little and he realises that she is drunk. She is just phenomenally good at hiding it. “I knew all you big men were all mouth and no trousers.”

James can't help but laugh. It's not a phrase he's familiar with but he likes the sound of it. “You hitting on me, Ash?”

“That's not what I...oh, very funny.” James knows his grin gets him out of trouble fairly often and it seems to be working on Ash. She's laughing at him. “You're optimistic, James. I like that.”

He likes that he's graduated from 'Vega' to 'James'. He waggles his eyebrows at her. “¿Te apetece venir a casa conmigo?”

“I have no idea what you just said, but I'm assuming it was highly inappropriate. I should give you a punishment detail for that. Twenty press-ups with your shirt off.” She's leaning more heavily on the bar now as another shot leaves its mark, and she's definitely eyeing his torso.

“I knew you just wanted to have a look at the goods.”

“It's not as though I can't see everything that counts through those tight shirts you insist on wearing. I'm not complaining, though.”

“Tell you what, if you remember the punishment in the morning, I'll do them for you. I'm not putting my hands on this floor, I'll be stuck to it forever.”

“Promise?”

He grins, and clicks his shotglass against hers. “Promise.”

He really shouldn't be flirting with her. Tensions between Ash and the Commander are high and getting involved in whatever capacity will end badly for him until they get it straightened out. Shepard's a reasonable woman and Ash'll come around once she accepts that Shepard isn't affliated with Cerberus anymore. But Ash has those wicked brown eyes that glint at him whenever she lifts a new glass, and the promise of curves beneath her plain civvies is something he can't resist. As well as that, she might be uncertain about how much she deserves her Spectre status, but James has a good sense by now of how hard she fought to achieve the rank of lieutenant, and she was alongside Shepard in almost everything they did in that first year together. Wouldn't that be enough of a reason for most?

He doesn't say any of this, but decides instead to forget about what he should or shouldn't be doing. If Ash drinks too much even for her, he'll deposit her in a taxi and see her safely home. He won't even try to kiss her. But he will remember the appreciative looks she gives him, and he'll hope that at some point, it won't be inappropriate to do more than flirt with her. He decides to take a chance on them getting the opportunity, one day.


End file.
